The Pastry Predicament
by belncaz
Summary: Murasakibara might not say that much, but he shows his affection with the creation of impressive desserts for his teammates at Teiko. With the sweet-crazed giant's birthday coming up, can the Teiko gang successfully complete a pastry-boot camp in time to muster up the skills to reciprocate? Let's find out.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke.

A/N: This story is roughly inspired by Murasakibara's birthday (Oct. 9th) and is set during the Teiko arc, but the characters are not written particularly according to canon. If you're reading, I hope you like it :)

Rating: T for some minor swearing.

The Pastry Predicament

Chapter 1

If there was one thing the members of the Generation of Miracles could agree on, it was that Murasakibara made the best birthday treats. They'd discovered this talent quite accidentally, but one day toward the end of December, Momoi had casually mentioned that Akashi's birthday would be missed because it was on the weekend. The tall purple haired player had apparently registered his teammate's upcoming birthday, and without consulting anyone, went to work.

On the Friday before Akashi's birthday, Murasakibara toted in a box that featured a shogi board made from a complexly layered sponge cake. The game pieces were painstakingly shaped from homemade mochi and the whole thing was to scale. He handed it to Akachin with a mumbled wish for a happy birthday. They could all see how much it meant to their captain, who let his guard down just enough to smile sincerely and with true warmth at the thoughtful gesture. Of course, there was playful teasing that Murasakibara had to make something for all of them when the time came, to which he'd simply shrugged and really, it had been forgotten as a joke.

Until January 31st rolled around, that is. Then it was Kuroko's birthday and he saw the gift of an elaborate croquembouche tower shaped into a series of basketballs. Chocolate sauce had been carefully traced over each one to replicate the design of the ball they all knew so well and they'd been filled with a rich vanilla pastry cream. Knowing that Murasakibara wasn't that fond of basketball, Kuroko had hugged his teammate tightly and accepted his hair being ruffled without complaint. While tasty, the strands of caramel on the pastries had proved sticky and there had been much laughter at the resulting mess.

Although she had enjoyed seeing these gestures, Momoi didn't think Mukkun would include her, or that he even knew when her birthday was. He did, on both accounts, and on May 4th she was overcome with joy to see what he'd made for her. Murasakibara had prepared a black forest cake that had clearly tripled the usual amount of luscious cherries in honor of her favorite food. The cream had turned a shade of pink that was very close to her hair and the cake had been liberally infused with cherry syrup to intensify the flavor. He'd decorated the top with "Sachin" spelled out in small homemade macaroons – naturally they were filled with cherry cream.

While Kise and Midorima both had doubts that the summer holiday might disrupt their turn, Murasakibara had faithfully lugged in their treats when the team met to celebrate their birthdays. For Kise, Murasakibara had constructed a "mirror" with the glass formed by smoothly pouring liquid sugar into a frame of sliceable sweetened jelly that had golden candy inside and the entire structure was reinforced over pale yellow almond cookies. The effect was quite beautiful and Kise had excitedly thanked his teammate. He was particularly pleased as he'd joined later than the others and had secretely been worried he might not be considered a true part of the group.

Nobody knew what to expect for Midorima's gift, but on July 7th they saw that Murasakibara was prepared to devote a lot of time to dessert. Murasakibara had baked a series of small green tea cakes and decorated them with Oha Asa lucky items created from a combination of homemade marshmallows and cookies. The reserved teen had smiled at the sight and his nod of appreciation told all of them he understood the thought that had gone into this present.

Aomine's turn at first seemed less elaborate, as Murasakibara had matter-of-factly prepared a variety of imagawayaki, boxed them up and wrapped the package in festive paper to give to Aomine on the appropriate day. Some of them were filled with the traditional sweet bean paste, but he'd also included some with custard, jelly, and even a few with a chocolate and almond mixture. What really set them apart, however, were the delicately pipped decorations on top of each one. In a sauce that complemented each type of filling, Murasakibara had drawn a series of abstract designs that elevated the humble desserts to small works of art.

And so it was with all of these outstanding efforts in mind that the others gathered together in mid-September, without Murasakibara present, for an emergency strategy session. After a few moments of discussing their relative strengths, or lack thereof, it became obvious they were desperately outclassed and had little hope of being able to offer anything of comparable quality, even with their combined efforts.

"Ki-chan! Can you copy a pastry chef if we found a video for you to watch?" Momoi's question was optimistically pitched, but there was an element of strain at its root.

"No, my copying ability doesn't work that way." Kise's dejected reply seemed to take the air out of the room along with it.

Collectively, they all turned toward Akashi. His scarlet eyes were thoughtful as he considered the problem. Finally coming to a resolution, he extracted his phone and after dialing someone and briefly making arrangements, he explained, "We have no choice. We only have around three weeks to master a dessert. I've recruited professional assistance."

The six of them reported for duty as assigned. They donned the aprons provided, stood at attention, and for all the world resembled a newly recruited set of military personnel. The expert gaze of the pastry chef, Sugimoto-sensei, could tell at a glance this would be hell for all involved – they had the will, but clearly no idea what the difference was between puff pastry and phyllo dough.

Just to be sure, he asked, "Have any of you had any experience with baking anything before?"

Momoi's hand shot up eagerly but Kuroko quickly grabbed it and lowered her arm before Sugimoto could see and calmed her with a quiet "Momoi-san, you don't want us to feel badly by being so far ahead of us, do you?"

"Sorry, Tetsu-kun, you're right. It is better if we all start together."

Aomine sent the smaller male a grateful look – they didn't need Momoi to be the leader in this project. They wanted to thank Murasakibara, not poison him.

The adult in charge realized he had a group of rank amateurs, but since one of them was his employer's son, he was definitely going to go about this as delicately as he could. So he started with what he thought was an easy question. "Okay then, what would you like to learn to make for your friend's birthday?"

They paused and looked at one another. Finally Kise bravely answered, "We know it should be purple. And definitely large, Murasakibaracchi has a big sweet tooth." They all nodded in agreement.

Sugimoto waited for more information but quickly grasped that was as far as they'd thought this through. With a silent sigh he tried to brace himself and accidentally caught Kuroko's eyes. Kuroko gave a polite nod and bow, "Please take care of us, we are sorry for the trouble."

At least they were courteous, Sugimoto thought optimistically. He began by going over some preliminary pastry skills so they could gain a better understanding of what they might want to make.

It turned out that good manners didn't mean shit, though, when it came to the ability to follow basic instructions that didn't involve a basketball. Well, to be fair, they all followed the instructions, but somehow each of them produced a result that was better suited to building material than a tasty confection.

As Sugimoto surveyed their various disasters, he realized it might be better to gather more information about the intended recipient so he could guide the lessons more efficiently.

"What type of sweets does Murasakibara-chan like?"

A chorus of: "Pocky." "Umaibo." "Kinoko No Yama." "Bisuko." "Chiroru." "Toppo." was heard as each person named a sweet they had seen Murasakibara happily devour. There was a brief pause before Midorima sighed and commented, "Really he is not too discriminating; Murasakibara just likes sweets in general."

"But he does make fancy stuff." Aomine's hesitant clarification was met with agreement. "He made pretty elaborate things for us even if he usually just eats standard sweets."

At Sugimoto's skeptical look, Akashi gave an overview of what Murasakibara had made for each of them. Knowing that Akashi had plenty of exposure to elaborate desserts even if he couldn't make them, the chef took his praising reviews more seriously.

"So our guidelines are purple, fancy, and large in scale. Okay, let me think for a moment…"

Kuroko raised his hand. "Excuse me, what about something like this? But in purple?" He'd raided the chef's cookbook collection and had found something promising in one of them.

The others gathered around him to see and they all thought it seemed like a good idea. Sugimoto pursed his lips thoughtfully as he considered what the boy had found. It would require some adaptation to meet the color requirement but it was just possible they could pull it off in the time allotted, if they were willing to work hard and not give up before they mastered the various techniques involved.

"Very well, we will try it. But having seen today's results, I can assure you this will take quite a bit of practice. I will accept nothing less than your top efforts or you will be on your own. I am used to training the very highest caliber of students so we will be moving quickly; you'll have to keep up or you will fail."

He might not have known it, but those were absolutely the best possible words he could have used to inspire them. They were members of the Generation of Miracles, the Phantom Sixth Man, and the Talented Manager, surely they could rise to such a challenge?

They all deflated a bit at his next words, uttered thoughtfully and with an air of resignation. "We will begin with another review of kitchen safety. Momoi-san, you in particular must pay attention to where the fire extinguisher is; we cannot have a repeat of today's performance."

All of them looked at the smoldering ruins of Momoi's attempt. She had not only burned the cookies she was trying to make, she'd set the oven-mitt on fire and also singed her apron. Maybe Momoi could just supervise…? They'd have to give this some thought. Nobody wanted to get on her bad side, but they were all aware of their own limitations with this endeavor and they didn't necessarily have the time to account for Momoi's peculiarly dangerous culinary efforts as well.

In any case, they listened attentively to Sugimoto-sensei as he outlined their battle plan for the next few weeks. It would be challenging as they still had school and basketball practice; Kise would have to juggle a modelling job as well. And of course, they absolutely couldn't let Murasakibara know what they were doing – it had to be a surprise. As they left the kitchen, they all realized it would be difficult, and they cringed when they remembered Sugimoto's stern reprimand that "there is no crying in pastry, Kise" when the blond had been distraught over his failure to produce edible cupcakes. There might well be cause for tears by the end of it…who knew trying to show affection with confections would be so hard?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke

The Pastry Predicament

Chapter 2

It didn't take long for Murasakibara to pick up on the fact something was going on, even if he didn't know exactly what it was. The usually laid back center grew annoyed when it seemed everyone was keeping a secret from him, but what truly put him out was the sudden cessation of their post-practice ice cream excursions. This was a ritual of particular importance to Murasakibara, and he was suspicious that suddenly everyone was too busy. Finally, after a week of everyone evading him after practice, he decided it was necessary to get a more direct explanation.

"Kuro-chin, why can't we get popsicles today?" His plaintive question would have tugged at the heartstrings of even someone less fond of the purple-haired athlete than Kuroko was, but this was in the service of the greater good, so Kuroko steeled his resolve.

"I'm sorry Murasakibara-kun, but for the next few weeks I have to go home directly after practice to help my parents. They've decided my grandmother should come to live with us and we have to get the house ready."

"Oh. Okay, Kuro-chin. What about you, Mido-chin?"

"I already told you, Murasakibara, I don't have time for such foolishness. I'm in the middle of a demanding research project and I can't lose the time."

Murasakibara took that in for a moment and decided it was a reasonable excuse. But then he turned to Kise and Aomine, "Kise-chin? Mine-chin? What about you?"

"Sorry Murasakibaracchi! I have a modelling job scheduled!"

"Can't. I, uh, have…remedial classes." Each of the conspirators shot a warning look at Aomine; it wasn't that farfetched that the power forward would need those classes, but it was stretching the limits of credulity to think he would actually _attend_ them.

Thankfully, Murasakibara was more preoccupied with the immediate issue than any deep thinking. "Study hard, Mine-chin." His anxious gaze located Momoi, "Sa-chin?" and the pink haired manager bit her lip regretfully.

"Sorry Mukkun, I have a lot of committee meeting work for a while."

Murasakibara frowned as he heard yet another denial. He didn't bother to ask Akashi. He knew their captain could rarely join the group anyway with all of the demands on his time. So without further comment he lumbered away, but they could all see his disappointment.

Once he was out of earshot, Midorima sighed heavily. "Can't we just tell him we're working on a surprise for him? That was unexpectedly…difficult…to get through."

Aomine quickly vetoed that idea, "You can't tell someone about a surprise if you still want it to be a surprise, Midorima."

Still, they all understood Midorima's feelings on the matter. It reinforced their resolve to pull off their plans to both repay Murasakibara for all of the work he'd put into treats for them, and also to make up for the next few weeks of semi-isolation.

Sugimoto noted their increased determination that evening and wondered at its cause, but honestly they needed every ounce of incentive they could muster if they had any hope at all. The past week had not gone particularly well. He didn't understand how these supposedly coordinated people became all thumbs in the kitchen, but he couldn't deny they were trying very hard indeed. His eye was still twitching, though, when he surveyed their results.

"If each of you had to guess where you went wrong, what would you say?" He asked this somewhat rhetorically, but they answered anyway.

"Obviously the materials are inferior. We need better quality ingredients." Midorima's stuffy answer was swiftly delivered, but he didn't make eye contact with anyone else, leading them all to believe he knew perfectly well there was nothing wrong with their ingredients.

"Tch, this is like school. The formulas are too much work to keep track of." Aomine's response was not particularly surprising.

"I think I misread the measurements again" Kise's pronouncement sounded miserable- he'd clearly wanted to redeem his performance from last time.

"I may have overmixed it." Momoi's rock hard pastry could be explained by overmixing, but it looked like she'd slightly scorched it as well.

Kuroko just shrugged. "I don't know. I thought I did everything right." They contemplated Kuroko's mysterious-looking attempt and agreed it was unknown as to what exactly had gone wrong. It was likely more than one part had been inadvertently disrupted.

With some trepidation they looked at Akashi. He raised an eyebrow before pointing to his effort, "Mine came out just fine, thank you very much." It did look like Akashi's was perfect and the others felt a twinge of envy.

Sugimoto shook his head and took a knife to slice it, the center was obviously underdone. "It needed a little longer to cook."

Everyone looked a little dejected before their instructor finally spoke again. "I think it was a mistake to attempt to have all of you gain mastery with the whole thing. Since it is a group present anyway, maybe we should focus on each of you taking on single aspects that will be combined anyway."

There was a contemplative silence as they all thought about that for a moment. Akashi finally took the lead, "We will not be defeated by dessert. We can handle the challenge. But, in the interests of shall we say…time management…your suggestion has merit."

If a few giggles were heard in the wake of Akashi's rather regal pronouncement then it was understandable. Even Sugimoto had to fight a smile before outlining teams and tasks to make the whole endeavor more manageable. He'd been taking careful note of their personalities and their relative strengths to determine what type of activities would best suit them.

Momoi was diplomatically moved away from direct preparations for the moment and was instead put in charge of gathering ingredients and coordinating cooking times. She would also assist the others as needed and frankly, they were all relieved that Sugimoto had recognized it was the necessary measure. She looked excited because in her mind, this also meant she got to be in charge.

Akashi was moved to all the candy-making preparations. Sugimoto realized that Akashi's calmly exacting nature would be well-suited to gaging the necessary temperatures and handling the fickle sugar crystals. And needless to say his unflinching gaze would not miss the miniscule tell-tale signs between each of the stages between soft threads to hard crack – it would require the patient determination of a strategist and Akashi was eminently suited to such a task.

Kise, who had a notable flair for artistry and the dramatic, was put in charge of decorations like frosting, sauces, and sparkly garnishes. He would coordinate with Momoi on final constructions and ensuring that all of their hard work was displayed to best advantage. The bouncy blond seemed capable enough of making frosting, although their teacher noted with some disapproval that a good portion of what Kise made seemed to mysteriously vanish.

Aomine, with his raw physicality and minimal patience, was not particularly suited to most skills needed in a patisserie. But there was one particular aspect that Sugimoto felt the boy would both enjoy and excel – and so Aomine found himself pulverizing various fruits into the needed consistencies for other parts of the project, and alternating it with kneading and rolling out assorted chilled doughs. As Sugimoto watched him, he rather thought that when they got to the brûlée portion, Aomine might even be trusted with the torch. Possibly.

Midorima's logically inclined mind found itself applied to the task of carefully whisking eggs, cream, and sugar with various ingredients to make an array of custards and fillings. He had the appearance of a scientist as he cautiously whisked, observed, and tested temperatures and consistencies.

And as for Kuroko, the pastry chef had immediately understood that Kuroko's steady presence would make him ideally suited for the painstaking task of whipping egg whites into a seemingly endless array of meringues. The foamy mixtures were being used to lighten other concoctions as well as destined to form cookies and casings. The phantom's strong wrist muscles were put to the test but he persevered anyway.

At the end of the evening's session they had a halfway decent attempt at their goal. It would most likely take the remaining two weeks to perfect their individual portions, but they all felt immeasurably relieved to see even this small modicum of progress.

They were also exhausted, although none of them would admit to it. Kuroko fell asleep on the train, but Aomine shook him awake at their stop. They all shook their heads and chuckled at the ridiculous damage his hair had taken from the brief nap and Momoi handed over a comb so Kuroko could fix it.

As they bid one another farewell, they didn't notice a familiar tall, lavender-haired person watching the laughing group in disbelief, nor did they see the hurt flash through his eyes or the dejected stance he took upon recognizing the excuses they had told him earlier in the day were not true.

If they had, they may well have spoiled the surprise early to reassure their friend all was well. But instead, they went their separate ways, unaware that their plans were being so drastically misunderstood.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke

A/N: Akashi hasn't changed to the Bokushi personality in this timeline, so he's using surnames. Also, I did not manage my time wisely so this story will not be complete for Murasakibara's birthday, however I did get to post a chapter by the appropriate day (Happy Birthday Mukkun!). It's all about the small victories sometimes.

Still, I hope you like this chapter and the conclusion next time :)

The Pastry Predicament

Chapter 3

Kise was the first to notice something was wrong with Murasakibara as they were in the same class. When the blonde went to greet his classmate the next day, the taller teen only mumbled a reply and didn't even ask Kise if he had any sweets with him as was his customary routine.

"Murasakibaracchi? Is everything okay?"

He just shrugged in response but didn't look at Kise and the small forward became worried at this exceedingly unusual behavior. However he didn't have a chance to investigate further as their class began. He tried to talk with his teammate off and on throughout the morning but Murasakibara refused to engage with him. Kise sent a group text to the others with his concerns and received replies with various levels of concern. The one he took the most seriously was from their captain.

"Stop pestering him. We'll address it after practice. For now pay attention to your classes, you were dangerously close to academic sanctions last term." Kise deflated at this last but obediently turned toward the teacher and at least for a few moments listened to the lecture. Soon his thoughts wandered however, as even the implied warning from Akashi couldn't discipline the blonde's distracted brain.

At lunch Murasakibara got up and left the classroom without speaking to Kise – a departure from their usual routine. Kise started to go after him but remembered Akashi's text from earlier and reluctantly decided not to. But he felt an unfamiliar sense of gloom take hold of him and wondered how to fix it. He didn't come up with any particularly bright ideas by the time Murasakibara returned for their next lesson. It would seem he had no choice but to wait until after practice after all.

During practice, it was obvious that Murasakibara's mind was elsewhere – while never noted for full enthusiasm toward practice, he was usually at least dutiful – today he was barely going through the motions. At the end he tried to just disappear but was stopped by Akashi who motioned for him to sit on the bleachers. They all understood they were waiting for everyone else to leave before broaching the issue and their respective temperaments meant they each handled this differently. Aomine and Kise got into a brief scuffle as they played an impromptu one-on-one game; Midorima watched them with faint disapproval in his eyes. Kuroko had taken out a book and was quietly reading. Momoi reviewed the work everyone had done to ensure all was taken care of before they finally left. Akashi merely stood patiently as he waited for the right moment.

As the silence drew out and Murasakibara continued to avoid looking up, Akashi did something quite unexpected. He sat on the floor. Now it was true he lowered himself with an elegant motion that would have done justice to the finest dancer imaginable, but it was still an unprecedented occurrence. He seemed perfectly at ease and Murasakibara was forced to look at his captain from surprise if nothing else. There was patience, concern, and a keen intelligence in Akashi's red eyes that spoke to his willingness to investigate this issue to the best of his ability and they all knew it. His change in posture signaled all of them that the conversation was about to start and everyone gathered closer to participate.

"Murasakibara, you seem out of sorts today. What is wrong?" Akashi's voice lacked judgment; it promised that no matter how large or small the problem might really be, he was prepared to address it.

When Murasakibara finally replied, the hurt he had been carrying was starkly evident, "I saw all of you at the train station last night. You lied to me."

There was a horrified pause and more than one of them felt a rising panic – they hadn't gone over a cover story as they'd thought they were safe. They deferred to Akashi to handle it and everyone waited anxiously to hear his answer.

The redhead did not look panicked or guilty, his expression was perfectly neutral. He tilted his head just a fraction of a degree and took in the expression on the purple haired player's face. It seemed an eternity before he responded but he eventually did and it came as a shock to all of them to hear his reply.

"Yes, we did lie to you. Why do you think we would do that?"

Confused purple eyes clouded with doubt for a moment. "I did something wrong? You don't like me anymore?"

Momoi couldn't handle this and she patted his shoulder gently in reassurance. While none of the others were speaking yet as they trusted Akashi to successfully navigate these potentially hazardous waters, they still wanted to let Murasakibara know there were mitigating circumstances and so appreciated Momoi's gesture.

Akashi continued his questioning almost absently, "And if we didn't like you, would we be interested in knowing why you seemed different?"

The center shrugged. "Yes, if it affected basketball."

For the first time Akashi showed displeasure and his voice had a noticeable thread of steel, "Basketball is of course a priority, however we don't have to care about each other to perform well. Try again."

Kuroko felt a sense of unease at these words but he didn't know why. He filed it away to consider later.

Murasakibara mumbled his answer and despite their close proximity, they had trouble deciphering what he said. Rather than force him to repeat it immediately, Akashi held out his hand toward Kise in a signal for the basketball and the blond passed it to him with an efficient, graceful movement.

Akashi was not one to fidget or waste motion, so when he began playing with the ball by gently tossing it back and forth in his hands, they all knew there was a purpose to the activity. In a strange way, the simple action became almost hypnotic and several eyes were unconsciously compelled to follow the ball's trajectory as it was expertly caught and released between his left and right hands.

Without warning, Akashi threw the ball at Aomine without even glancing his way, and Aomine caught it instinctively but looked surprised.

The redhead's gaze stayed focused on Murasakibara who continued to look confused even as Akashi began speaking again. "I have complete faith that all of you will perform to my expectations no matter the circumstances – that's why I needn't look at Aomine for him to already be aware enough to catch a pass from me. So what does this mean for my earlier question?"

Murasakibara scowled, he felt he was being tricked but he didn't know why. He hated when Akashi got like this and the redhead would make them puzzle out the answers on their own. "I don't know."

"It means we care about you, Murasakibara-kun. And that while we lied to you, it isn't because we don't like you." Kuroko's quiet interruption drew all of their eyes his way. "It is true we all want success in basketball, but this is more than that."

Akashi nodded approvingly and then looked back at Murasakibara, "Which means we just need you to have faith, Murasakibara. We didn't deceive you for spite."

He still looked troubled and Aomine got impatient with his lack of understanding, "Murasakibara, think about why we'd keep something from you around this time of year. Your birthday is coming up, you idiot."

Murasakibara's look of astonishment rivaled only Akashi's of disapproval, but slowly, a tentative ray of hope shone in the purple eyes that had held such sadness moments before.

Kise nodded "Although we weren't supposed to say anything at all" and here he darted an accusing look at Aomine, "it is still a surprise in effect!"

Midorima sighed and pushed up his glasses. "Then if we're done with this touching moment, can we get back to our preparations?"

There were a few smiles and while the moment was still a little awkward, they all managed to gather enough presence of mind to depart after reassuring Murasakibara again and headed off to continue practicing their surprise.

Unfortunately, as the days moved forward, their preparations were not going well. Perhaps it was simple exhaustion from all the competing demands on their time, or maybe they'd chosen too ambitious a project, or it could just be their talents didn't lend themselves to the world of dessert.

Well, to be completely fair, they had all made remarkable improvement from the first week, even Momoi had been allowed to try again and once she'd managed to produce a fair custard – but she had been unable to replicate it. It seemed to be the pattern for each of them; they would make some progress only to immediately backslide. Sugimoto looked ready to cry; he was feeling increasingly anxious about the looming deadline for his students to master their respective projects.

The conspirators were feeling the strain themselves and after a few sharp remarks were exchanged, Akashi realized an intervention was needed. He looked around at them all and saw the strain that was clearly manifesting from their hectic schedules and self-inflicted pressure to conquer a complex set of skills.

He clapped his hands lightly to gain everyone's attention and issued his decision, "It seems we need a break. We still have a week but perhaps this pace is too draining. So let's take tomorrow off and start fresh again after that."

As it turned out, the break proved to be a wise move, but for unexpected reasons. Inexplicably, most of them ended up studying about their respective projects. Cooking websites, video tutorials, relatives, and other resources were all consulted for hints, tips, and bits of inherited wisdom. And each of them found a new strategy. When they returned and suddenly showed much stronger results with more reliable consistency, Sugimoto asked what was different.

None of them could precisely put it into words, but they'd managed to translate the precise and technical jargon of the confectionary world into a language they more readily understood. Akashi just offered, "I think we managed to regroup." And it was all the explanation they needed.

Finally, painstakingly and with the greatest possible care, they managed to pull off their design. It didn't come without a cost, though. Kuroko had not only strained his wrist so that he was excused from basketball practice, but he'd also received a small but significant burn from trying to make caramel. Momoi had a burn on her wrist as well, and Midorima had had to sacrifice a lucky item after Kise accidentally bumped into him at one point.

Still, it was finished and in time for Murasakibara's birthday. It would require bringing him to the pastry kitchen but they didn't think he would particularly mind. So after school on the purple haired teen's birthday, Akashi had graciously permitted them to skip basketball practice for the occasion, they traipsed over to the kitchen that had proven such a battleground for the past few weeks to surprise their teammate and friend.

At first, when they showed him what they had made, Murasakibara didn't say anything and there was a tense moment when their subconscious fears that he wouldn't like it might be realized, but then Momoi noticed he was looking amazed, not repulsed, and she smiled in relief. They all noticed it and relaxed.

They turned to survey what they had labored so hard to make. In honor of Murasakibara's interest in physics and astronomy, they'd created an artistic replica of the solar system from various forms of cake, candy, and pastry. The primary difference was that where blue would be used, they'd substituted purple – and the sun, at the center, had been done in the fiery reds and purples that one would see at sunset.

But the precise attention to detail in tracing out the distinct features of each planet was more than clear. Sugimoto had honestly not believed they would be able to do it and had been ready to broach an easier project just in case, but they had risen to the occasion. The planets had been arranged on a huge fluffy meringue cake that had taken Kuroko several dozen tries to master before finally getting the texture dense enough to support the structure but soft enough to slice, shape, and eventually eat. It had been tinted a light violet and scattered with silver sprinkles and frosted cookies to suggest stars.

The delicate sugar spheres that formed some of the planets and Saturn's rings had been Akashi's responsibility. Aomine's pastry dough and fruit fillings were inside some of them, and others had been used to raise the planets around the meringue to give the appearance of floating. Midorima's contribution found home in the remaining planets and his custards layered in between some of the cake layers also formed edible glue.

Momoi and Kise had meticulously affixed sprinkles, fondant, glazes, and edible foil where needed for decoration and support. They'd also finally managed to pull off some small batches of cookies that found placement on Kuroko's meringue but their primary concentration had been on achieving level, stable structures and ensuring the piece as a whole looked presentable.

It was with some regret that they started to attack their present to serve it, but in the end they had a great time showing Murasakibara the pieces they'd particularly worked on and he sincerely thanked them all. Murasakibara was well aware this had not been something they'd idly thrown together, and inside he secretly felt relief that their reassurance from the past week had proved to be true – they hadn't been avoiding him for anything he'd done wrong. It was an occasion of mirth, relief, and true affection for all of them.

Perhaps they should have been surprised by how quickly their labors were decimated, but Murasakibara's prodigious appetite notwithstanding, the gathering had a party feel to it and they all indulged more than they might otherwise. The sugar spike they endured as a result, however, sent them to a streetball court immediately afterwards and in the evening's dimming light, they played freely and without restraint – teasing, laughing, and enjoying one another's company and the celebration of their own skill. For today, they had no reason to suspect there would be any partings among them or that their friendship would soon unravel. They had only the cool evening breeze and their shared contentment.

Momoi captured the moment in a photo that she gave to each of them. It would become a day they all secretly held precious in their memories, though there was no mention of it after that. There were days ahead that would belie the current scene, but today was simply a celebration of Murasakibara's birthday and that was enough for them all.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroko no Basuke

A/N: I took the "Gami-chin" from potionwine on tumblr, they have a great post explaining Murasakibara's nicknaming system with a guess of how Kagami'd be addressed. It made sense to me so I went with it.

Well, posting this chapter means that this is my first completed multi-chapter story, so that's a milestone I'm pretty happy about. I hope you liked it :)

The Pastry Predicament

Chapter 4

Not long after Murasakibara's birthday, things began to change. Aomine's talent bloomed to an incredible height and gradually, the others' did too. They continued to play and to win, but their outlook turned cold and soon they began relying on premediated scoring quotas and competitions among each other to stay motivated. They were a team only in that they wore the same uniform, but they played separately, and soon they didn't even truly consider Kuroko to be a necessary part of their strategy.

By November, Aomine had stopped coming to practice and Murasakibara wanted to skip as well. He had a one-on-one with Akashi over the matter and while Akashi won, he allowed Murasakibara to miss practice if he continued to score in games. But something was different now, and it was more than just the color of Akashi's eyes which had become heterochromatic, along with eerily calm and dispassionately assessing. That December, Murasakibara did not make anything for Akashi's birthday. Nor for Kuroko's in January, and one by one as the months wore on, it became clear the tradition was lost. Then they all dispersed to different high schools and the fleeting memory of happy birthdays celebrated with each other was buried under their respective goals for becoming champions.

The Inter High Tournament saw a further fragmentation of the group as Aomine taunted and defeated both Kuroko and Kise. Then Momoi reported Aomine's injury to the coach and he wasn't allowed to play in the remainder of the tournament, and so Too was also overpowered. Finally Akashi's team won over Yosen, with neither Murasakibara nor Akashi competing. It set the events in motion to raise their rivalry and after the fierce qualifiers; all six of their teams were entered into the Winter Cup.

The Winter Cup arrived with all of their sights set on the top spot. It was with a tremendous display of willpower and teamwork, but Kuroko and Seirin managed to defeat the Generation of Miracles. Each of the prodigies recovered their love of basketball and a respect for their teammates, but it was a harsh lesson that caused them personal embarrassment as they reflected on their actions. Kuroko was accordingly surprised, then, to receive a phone call from Murasakibara in mid-December as it was only a few days following the tournament.

"Kuro-chin, let's all get together for Aka-chin's birthday next week."

Kuroko's smile at that moment could have powered all of Tokyo he was so happy. It was true he loved basketball, but he had also missed their friendship and this signaled a return, or at least a start, to the comradery they'd first enjoyed at Teiko.

And when they reunited for Akashi's birthday, Murasakibara remembered the tradition and he brought dessert. They smiled at his choice – a sculpted sugar and cake model of Akashi's white horse wearing a garland of flowers that had been carefully crafted from fondant and crystalized sugar. They'd all had training in Hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, and recognized the yellow and white chrysanthemums (imperial and truth), daffodils (respect), pink roses (trust), and zinnias (loyalty). These flowers were indicative of Murasakibara's ideas about Akashi, but it was a reminder of the bonds between all of them as well. His Rakuzan teammates had been suitably impressed by Murasakibara's talent and by the end of the celebration they'd tentatively formed friendships with the others. They were invited to attend Kuroko's birthday the following month and they accepted.

In January, they all gathered along with Seirin and several representatives from their various rival teams to celebrate Kuroko's birthday. Murasakibara had grudgingly allowed Kagami to assist him with preparing Kuroko's surprise, but only because of the increased crowd they would have. The two worked together mostly in silence, however their mutual culinary aptitude was clear and by the end, Murasakibara was calling the redhead Gami-chin, much to Kagami's disgust. At least he'd earned inclusion in Kise's "–cchi" system through basketball, it took _dessert_ to earn Murasakibara's respect? Tch.

Still, the look of shy pleasure on Kuroko's face as he took in the giant cake that had been shaped to look like a library tower with all of Kuroko's favorite books meticulously pipped in neat rows made it worth it. There was even a library-ladder with a small replica of Nigou posed to look like he was climbing up the stacks built-in. When Murasakibara pointed out that including Nigou had been Kagami's idea, there was an astonished silence from all of Seirin as they knew the tall redhead's discomfort with the small canine.

At the post-dessert game, a new picture of their group was taken to complement the one taken during their Teiko days. It showed them together in street clothes, but their location and a tell-tale basketball were clearly discernible. A copy of the photo would eventually find its way to Kuroko's locker along with the first one. It marked a significant turn in the relationship between not only the Generation of Miracles themselves, but with each other's teams. Although they'd had hints of it with Akashi's birthday, the gathering for Kuroko more solidly cemented the idea they could all be both friends and opponents, and many of them found they had common interests and concerns beyond their shared love of basketball. Kuroko smiled to see it; this would make all their future competitions even better.

The months sped by, and they all made efforts to see one another, sometimes with various teammates in tow, sometimes with just their middle school crowd. The pattern for birthday celebrations was firmly reestablished though – dessert from Murasakibara followed by a game of basketball with whoever attended.

Momoi's birthday celebration included several members from Too along with the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko and Kagami. Murasakibara had carefully arranged a series of faux-bath powder jars made from cake and pastry creations filled with cherry cream in a basket sculpted from chocolate. It was remarkably feminine and beautiful. Momoi teared up at the attention to detail and it took the joint efforts of Aomine and Kuroko together to get her to calm down.

When summer break came and they gathered in late June for Kise's birthday, it was another larger group with Seirin joining members from Kaijo and the Generation of Miracles. Although they were rivals, Seirin and Kaijo had come to respect and like one another and so they were more than happy to celebrate the blond's birthday together. They all laughed to see the airplane model with a figure of Kise standing on top in a pilot's uniform singing karaoke that Murasakibara created. Kise preened from the attention and they had all smiled at his antics - he was allowed to be conceited on his birthday, at least.

Midorima's birthday was originally meant to be a smaller affair as the green haired teen was fairly reserved, but when his Shutoko teammates caught wind of his plans to exclude them from his birthday they reached out to the Generation of Miracles for help, and they were invited despite Midorima's intentions. Yosen's ace delivered another masterpiece with a large zodiac wheel. In the Cancer section, Murasakibara had placed small fondant figures of Midorima's lucky pencil and a can of the red bean soup he enjoyed drinking. Takao had teased Midorima about his being a creature of habit but the shooting guard had refused to rise to the bait – he was aware of his own preferences and saw nothing that needed to change.

Sakurai had timidly offered to help with Aomine's birthday surprise but he ended up being too intimidated by Murasakibara to follow through. He apologized profusely and received numerous looks ranging from annoyance to puzzlement. Murasakibara showed his playful side this time and he brought in two boxes. The first he gave to Aomine apart from the others who'd gathered – but Aomine's spurt of surprised laughter upon opening the box drew them all over. The purple haired teen had made Fragomammella– strawberry breasts – and they'd been constructed to quite a large scale. Murasakibara had slyly, but lazily teased, "Mine-chin's tastes are infamous."

The second box had a tamer, but still interesting, option. Murasakibara had painstakingly crafted a teriyaki 'burger' from the sesame seed bun down to the partial wrapper out of sweets, cake, and candy. It showed off several skills from cake making, icing, and all the little decorative touches to give the impression it was actually a savory meal rather than a sweet dessert. Aomine grinned, he was definitely pleased, this was much more his style than the artsy design he'd gotten last time (although he'd never admit it, he had thought they were pretty).

It was a curious thing, then, to survey the gathering of eight in mid-September. Everyone was aware of the difficulty they were facing to respond in kind to the intricate creations Murasakibara had presented to each of them. Akashi's red eyes went from person to person, resting thoughtfully on the two newcomers, Himuro Tatsuya and Kagami Taiga. He switched to look at Kuroko and the question was clearly implied for all that nothing was said.

"Himuro-san looks after Murasakibara-kun at Yosen, and his birthday is in late October. I thought he would want to be included." Kuroko's mild response was offered with the logic of knowing that Himuro had a responsibility similar to the one Akashi had at Teiko. "And although he couldn't come for the celebration, Murasakibara-kun sent Kagami-kun a box of small cakes designed to look like surfboards for his birthday, so he wanted to participate as well." Kagami flushed a truly unflattering shade of red but he couldn't deny his teammmate's words.

Akashi nodded in understanding before clearing his throat lightly and beginning. "As we're all aware, Murasakibara's birthday is coming up in a few weeks. I imagine I am not alone in admitting that the skills we learned in middle school are probably rusty, at best."

Kise, Midorima, Aomine, Kuroko, and Momoi all nodded guiltily. Himuro and Kagami shrugged, they weren't part of that endeavor but they were willing to try now.

"In light of that, I have recruited Sugimoto-sensei again. But he will only help us if we have a stronger idea of what we want to do before we start this time and he's insisted we review our notes or otherwise refresh some of the training prior to when we meet with him. So, let's figure out our design. I've made a packet for everyone with the lessons from before, we can review them later. Kuroko, you'll need to share yours with Kagami. Himuro, you may take mine as I have the original at home."

Kagami started to ask a question but Kuroko shook his head. "It's better not to ask, Kagami-kun. We were successful in the end, but it didn't start well."

The veterans shuddered at the memory of some of their first efforts but by collective agreement that they were all in this together, nobody pointed out anyone's particular failings.

Himuro's soft voice was heard next. "Well, what did you do last time? We need to know the precedent."

Midorima shot him a look. "We created an edible model of the solar system out of cake, spun sugar and homemade candy, and pastry that was situated on a meringue cake with cookies as stars."

Kagami's eyebrows ascended and he looked at his teammate in shock, who shrugged and offered only, "We all worked together."

Murasakibara's teammate whistled and looked amused. "You certainly don't do anything by half measures! So what beats something on that scale?"

Aomine sighed. "I guess we didn't really think about a future effort. Tetsu found a picture of something like it in one of our teacher's books and we just went with it."

"What do you mean you 'just went with it'? That's not exactly easy!" Kagami was looking like he regretted signing up for this project.

Aomine gave a lazy wave toward his former shadow. "Blame Tetsu, then. You know what he's like when he starts with the teamwork talk, we had to do it or risk looking like cowards."

"Aomine-kun, that's not nice. Nobody protested at the time." Kuroko's deadpan response was true, but it didn't really resolve matters now.

A quiet snort escaped Himuro and they all turned to look at him in question. "Are you telling me that you were _bullied_ into making such an elaborate confection? By Kuroko?" He was clearly entertained by this idea and it took several minutes before he got himself under control because he was sent back into peals of laughter as they all assured him that Kuroko was much more difficult to handle than he might appear. It didn't help matters that Kuroko was blinking innocently and looking as capable of pushing these larger-than-life figures around as Murasakibara would be of turning down a sweet. But finally, with a great deal of effort, Himuro managed to settle down and they resumed their planning.

Kagami eyed them all, "It seems part of the problem is that Murasakibara's desserts are all, well, personal. I get the solar system from before, but what do you think would best represent him now?"

"An excellent point, Kagami." Akashi's tone was almost congratulatory and it definitely annoyed Kagami to hear it, but the taller redhead ignored the jibe.

As it turned out, Himuro would soon see Kuroko in action, as his quiet voice was heard, "Excuse me…but I think I have an idea." Those that had more familiarity with him, namely everyone except Himuro, groaned in near-unison. They were well aware this meant he'd already decided what they were going to make and from the scrupulously innocent look on his face, it wasn't going to be easy. But they listened anyway, and ultimately agreed with Kuroko's plan.

"Since Kise, Himuro, and I all live outside Tokyo there will be additional time constraints, but with some effort and schedule-juggling, we should be able to manage this. I'll present our idea to Sugimoto-sensei and we'll meet tomorrow to begin." Akashi's comment signaled the end of today's meeting.

As they gathered up their belongings, Himuro shot Kuroko a speculative look. "It would seem I owe everyone an apology. You do have a talent for managing to get others to do what you want."

Kuroko smiled. "I merely suggested the idea. It's a team effort and everyone agreed." There might have been a series of scoffs and choked laughter in response to Kuroko's statement. But nobody actually denied his words.

Pastry Training, the High School Version

Sugimoto stood at the front of the kitchen and looked at his students. He was amazed by how much they had grown since the last time he'd seen them. Even the two newcomers were such large specimens; he had a thought that they'd need to significantly adjust the scale of their proposed project if they intended to have enough to feed everyone. Unfortunately, it would appear none of them had practiced the skills they'd learned in middle school, it was more or less starting from scratch. He was pleased that both Himuro and Kagami appeared to have training and aptitude; he wouldn't need to fret about them.

He sighed. "As before, let's start with a review of kitchen safety."

Kagami's head whipped around in disbelief. They were going to begin _there_? When they had such a monstrous project in mind and such a tight deadline? They'd never finish! But it would appear nobody else had an issue with such a rudimentary lesson as they listened attentively. Was Midorima actually _taking notes_ that one should not walk away from a pot of boiling sugar…? Did Kise and Momoi seriously both blush at the pointed reminder of where the fire extinguishers were? Was Aomine muttering to himself the difference between types of oil you can safely use for frying dough? Horrified, he looked at Kuroko who shrugged. "We will all do our best, Kagami-kun."

It turned out they'd remembered more than they thought, and with some reminders and frantic consultations of their notes, they began making practice versions of their design. That didn't mean there weren't several moments when they came dangerously close to tears, or fighting, and there might have been a noticeable panic when Aomine forgot to temper his eggs before adding them to the large pot of custard he'd been preparing. But they worked hard and made a determined effort to be supportive of their relative ups and downs. Their real progress though, was made by Himuro and Kagami, who took to the lessons easily and showed mastery far ahead of the others.

Himuro was working beside Kagami and looked at him in amusement. "Did you ever think, Taiga, that you'd be more or less babysitting all of them in a kitchen while working to make something for Atsushi?"

Kagami scoffed. "You'd never suspect they inspired such terror on the court, would you? But…" and here he glanced at Kuroko who had somehow managed to get both flour and cocoa powder on his face and in his hair while he worked, looking adorably disheveled and earnest at the same time, "…you can bet if he has his way, we'll be doing this type of shit for the rest of our lives." Himuro murmured a soft agreement and they returned to their tasks.

Murasakibara's Birthday

If the truth were told, it would have to be admitted that Murasakibara was sometimes very childlike and he could easily be bribed with snacks and sweets, which is exactly what Himuro did to get the reluctant teen to leave his apartment early one Saturday morning in October. If Murasakibara had really thought about it, an unlikely event, it might have occurred to him that today was his birthday. But all he was really interested in was getting to try the new treats Himuro had promised if he went with him on this errand.

Which is why he was not in the least prepared for the surprise waiting for him when they finally arrived at Murasakibara's favorite restaurant, the owners of the establishment had been more than happy to let them use the space as the hungry athlete was such a frequent and generous customer. Inside, not only had Yosen's basketball team gathered, but so had the other Generation of Miracles and several of their teammates. Since so many of them had partaken of, and thoroughly enjoyed, the elaborate desserts Murasakibara had prepared for his various former teammates, they'd all pitched in to festively decorate the restaurant, secure additional food and snacks, and set up for the party.

Murasakibara was speechless, he had no idea such a plan had been in the works and he was unexpectedly bashful to be the center of so much attention. But then his eyes saw the dessert situated on a long table and he laughed.

Kuroko's idea, as it turned out, had been inspired by Kagami's remark that Murasakibara's creations reflected each of them. He didn't show it often, but Murasakibara possessed a keen awareness of those he acknowledged, which is how he'd so perfectly captured something about each of them in what he had made. So Kuroko'd taken that as an inspiration for his idea and suggested they create 'memory boxes' that highlighted their relationship with the tall purple haired teen this time. The result was highly personal and showed the deep respect and affection that tied all of them together.

They'd made one box out of cake to look like an opened basketball – in this one, each person had recreated from cookies, pastry, or fondant, something that reminded them of Murasakibara's athleticism. This ranged from the humorous in the form of a hair-tie, a token of when Murasakibara finally got serious in the Winter Cup, to copies of the medals and trophies they'd acquired in the championships at Teiko. Akashi had even recreated the scoresheet from that fateful day when he'd changed personalities but left it with the score showing Murasakibara ahead of the point guard. Murasakibara knew it was meant as an apology, and an acknowledgment that while Akashi had won the match between them, he'd failed to be the true leader they needed.

The second box was made from a combination of colored taffy, caramel, fondant, and marshmallows and was shaped like a giant Nerunerunerune candy. They'd included replicas of Murasakibara's favorite candies and snacks inside of it. Himuro had wisely pointed out this might cause cravings for the real versions of these treats and they had a supply in reserve just in case. Which turned out to be a good thing, as one should not ever underestimate Murasakibara's appetite.

The third box was one from just the Generation of Miracles, including Kuroko and Momoi, and was a large-scale goldfish bowl made from sugared 'glass' - an homage to his talent for goldfish scooping. They'd filled it with edible models of some of their favorite elements of their time at Teiko – such as a deranged looking stuffed animal from the prize gallery, a photo-booth from when they'd all squeezed in, a recreation of Murasakibara in dress and makeup from the middle-school fair, a box of umaibo from when they'd captured the purse-thief, a crepe-coupon from the riddle race…and so on, making it quite clear that they valued the tall teen beyond his basketball skills.

There was a brief moment when it looked like he needed to collect himself, but soon Murasakibara was demanding to sample the creations and they all laughed in response. Over the course of the afternoon, they all found themselves exchanging hugs, despite it not being something they usually did. It was clear though, that in this full circle of events they all remembered what had happened before. The festive pastry boxes hinted to their separation from one another just as obviously as they did to the happy memories and there was an unspoken promise to not let themselves drift apart again. They didn't let themselves drown in the bittersweet sentiment though; instead they threw themselves wholeheartedly into celebrating Mukkun's birthday with karaoke, lots of food, and games.

When it came time for the traditional basketball game afterwards, those from Teiko each paused without really thinking about it and a secret smile crossed their faces as they looked at each other. Their new teammates were surprised to see it and wondered at the cause, but it would take a surprising flash of insight from Kagami to translate the expressions.

"They're finally ready to forgive themselves, I guess." He spoke softly to Himuro who looked shocked that the abrasive athlete was capable of picking up on the nuance.

"Yes, it seems that way. Atsushi's birthday marks the end of the cycle for them from what I understand."

Kagami glanced back at him, "You know what it also means though, don't you?"

Himuro's lips quirked up. "Obviously, they're planning to absolutely crush the rest of us in this game."

And they did, overwhelmingly so, but in good spirits that still left everyone laughing and having a good time. It was a reunion of their strength, of their friendship, and perhaps most importantly, their trust that victory didn't mean one couldn't have fun with, and respect for, others. Well, unless you asked Murasakibara, he might have added something a little sweeter to the list, but he didn't really need to – the desserts, or what was left of them, had said enough on their own.


End file.
